Price increases

[The Johnster]

It is inevitable that these only go in one direction, and it's not the one we want them to go, but I've just had a browsing session through the online catalogues of the two main players, and am a bit shocked.  Were I considering re-entering the hobby now instead of 5 years ago, I would be seriously considering the limitations of allocating a sensible amount of my limited pensions to it!  But I'm in, and reaping the benefit of concentrating my spending ability on the big ticket items while I could still manage to afford them.

 

Now, this is a subject that has been discussed to death, back to life again, and to second death many times, and I have little to add; I will perfectly understand if the mods don't allow it.  My take on this has been expressed many times; it costs what it costs and by and large our RTR items are qualtiy products and excellent value for money, and although the value for money aspect is being eroded by price rises, it is still worth buying RTR stuff.  I have, incidentally, since 2016 not paid RRP for anything, buying either s/h either from 'Bay or box shifters, or new discounted items.  But, with new prices rising, the secondhand prices are being dragged up with them, and secondhand now costs more than new did 3 or 4 years ago.  I bought my new Hornby 5101 in January for less than I have seen it in the 'pre-owned' listings of a big box shifter this weekend!  The price of most locos that I would be interested in on 'Bay is now more than I am willing to pay for secondhand items.  Bachmann's 94xx has risen in price from £129.99 to £145.99; I pre-ordered mine from Rails who honoured the pre-order price of £106.99.  Hornby coaches are a bargain at the moment, many being knocked out at £34.99 or less; this will not last long!

 

So, this is general advice to buy now, if you can, before the prices rise again, new, secondhand, or discount... I predict at least 2 further price rises this year as the knock on effect of covid, the container shortage, and the Suez blockage kicks in.  Matters may stabilise next year, but the trend will be more increases as new regulations for merchant shipping emissions take effect, increasing costs and prolonging journey times.  Buy it now is a policy which is in my case partially due to my age and the limited amount of time I have left (being so cheerful is what keeps me going), but it has served me well and I am retrospectively glad I adopted it!  Nearly all of my big ticket stuff is in my possession, and the only outstanding intention is to buy a Southeastern chassis kit for Philou's Wills 1854 pannier he kindly gave me  This should be a little less prone to increase, not being made in China and not being subject to the increasing shipping costs which are probably the reason for the latest price increases, touch wood.  I'm pretty much done with buying locos or coaches, though my resolve will weaken should anyone produce a 2721 to current standards...

 

If you want it or think you might  want it, buy it now or as soon as it is released, if you can; you will save money in the long run which can be used to buy placatory nice things for your SWMBOs!  Thus endeth the lesson for this Sunday's Johnster ramblings. 

 

 

 

 

[Mike 84C]

Johnster, you have hit the nail on the head! Two things you didn't mention, rising standards of living in China, the shrinking spending power of pensions and the other nice to haves like our old caravan, great for holidays and use as a spare bedroom. That's three!

  My interest in Irish Railways is suddenly getting rather expensive and when I look for that chassis on our favourite web site prices rise's of £10 from last year seem the norm. Whinge over, I'll just man up and pay or not!

[D9020 Nimbus]

I've noticed that the prices of some DMUs — I noticed the Bachmann OO class 150 in particular — are now extremely expensive. But they are comparable with what many "European" producers are charging for similar items — and their products are nowadays often made in China (or, in Roco's case, Vietnam).

 

I notice that prices for OO models are significantly higher than for N gauge equivalents. That wasn’t always the case. Is this because of the greater number of fine detail parts?

 

Whatever, nobody seems to be making a lot of money out of model railways. My response is to concentrate more on items I'm really interested in and not to go for "nice-to-have" items I might have bought in the past. For a while China offered a level of detail equivalent to European models at the prices we're used to paying, but not any more.

 

IMHO, we could reduce prices somewhat by reducing detail; we could call it "design clever" :-)

[Phil Parker]

3 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Now, this is a subject that has been discussed to death, back to life again, and to second death many times,

 

Yes it has. Many, many times.

 

3 hours ago, The Johnster said:

and I have little to add;

 

So don't. It's Sunday evening. I really don't want to spend time moderating yet another thread where people shout about how much things cost. Again.

 

We'll leave the initial post up, but after that, I'm locking the thread. Thank you and goodnight.